Terror kingpin Bello Turji has released a video claiming responsibility for killing Nigerian soldiers following an improvised explosive device attack on a military convoy in Sokoto State.
The convoy was responding to a distress call from residents of the Bargaja community in Isa Local Government Area when it struck the device on the Isa-Bargaja road on Saturday.
At least two soldiers were killed and several others injured in the explosion.
Residents of the Bargaja community said armed bandits had invaded the area between midnight and the early hours of Saturday, compelling villagers to flee and seek military intervention. Community sources said the attackers planted the explosive device on the route before the arrival of security personnel.
One resident, speaking to Premium Times, described the moment troops moved in. “They were on their way to rescue us when the vehicle hit the explosive,” the resident said. “Many soldiers were affected. One of the injured soldiers later made his way into the village seeking assistance.”
Another resident confirmed that community leaders travelled to Isa town to commiserate with military personnel following the reports of casualties.
A source familiar with the incident, also speaking to Premium Times, alleged the convoy was targeted in a coordinated ambush. The source said an armoured vehicle at the front of the convoy passed safely, while the vehicle directly behind it was struck.
In the video that followed, Bello Turji addressed supporters in what appeared to be a deliberate show of force against the Nigerian military.
Turji said in the footage: “Allah has granted us victory over those who have been rustling our livestock and killing our innocent brothers.” He also claimed his fighters killed some soldiers and recovered livestock.
Premium Times reported that the exact number of casualties remained unconfirmed at the time of filing, and that military authorities had not issued an official statement on the incident. The outlet said the Sokoto State Police Command spokesman, Ahmad Rufai, and the Chairman of Isa Local Government Area, Sharehu Kamarawa, could not be reached for comment.
The attack on Bargaja is not new territory for Bello Turji. Nearly a decade of violent incursions by armed groups linked to him has reduced Bargaja to a fragile community struggling to survive under constant threat.
Security analyst Bashiru Altine Giyawa has said Bargaja has long been one of the few communities in the area resisting repeated attacks from fighters loyal to Bello Turji.
The use of an IED against a military vehicle signals a change in approach. Security analysts have repeatedly warned that the spread of military-style tactics among non-state actors could significantly complicate counter-insurgency efforts across Nigeria’s North-west, a region previously marked by mass abductions, cattle rustling, and rural raids.
Bello Turji has operated in the Zamfara-Sokoto axis for roughly two decades. Despite repeated promises by military authorities to eliminate him, including operations against his hideouts and the killing of close allies, he has continued to evade capture and command hundreds of fighters.
Earlier this year, the Nigerian Army struck back. Troops of the 8 Division Strike Force launched coordinated operations in Zamfara and Sokoto states in March, advancing into a Turji camp deep within the Kagara Forest. Three soldiers and one Department of State Services personnel sustained injuries during a fierce exchange, and several bandits were eliminated.
In May 2025, the Air Component of Operation Fasan Yama conducted a targeted airstrike that killed Shaudo Alku, a close associate of Bello Turji described as a key link in cross-border terrorist logistics, alongside several fighters, near a primary school in Isa Local Government Area.
None of those operations has ended his network’s threat to Isa LGA. Residents say the continued ability of Bello Turji to evade capture has fuelled fears that attacks could persist across vulnerable border communities.
No fewer than 28 villages have been deserted following sustained attacks by groups loyal to Turji in the Tidibale area and surrounding communities of Isa Local Government Area.
The Coalition of Northern Groups has called out what it sees as a state failure. The coalition’s national president, Jamilu Aliyu Charanci, said the recent displacement of residents from communities in the area was “a painful reminder of a security system under severe strain,” adding that communities were “being forced out of their homes while terrorists operate with alarming impunity.
Bello Turji has survived at least one major international military action. He is said to have survived the December 2025 United States airstrikes on parts of Sokoto State, sustaining only a minor injury, according to sources familiar with the aftermath of the operation.
The Nigerian Army had not responded to the latest IED attack as of the time of this report.
